BT asked to block the The Pirate Bay

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When BT was ordered by a High Court Judge to block pirate website Newzbin 2 back in July we at Pocket-lint questioned whether this meant an end to the free web.

That question will be answered over time, but what is clear is that the judgement has opened a whole can of worms. The latest pirate protester is the BPI and it has gone straight for the mothership, i.e. The Pirate Bay.

Reports suggest that the body that represents the British Recorded Music Industry has asked BT to block access to the most infamous digital download site on the web.

The BPI released a statement saying that it has sent a letter to BT to request it to block Pirate Bay. "If BT will not agree to block voluntarily, then it has been asked to consent to a court order," the statement read.

"We would not tolerate Counterfeits 'R' Us on the High Street - if we want economic growth, we cannot accept illegal rip-off sites on the internet either," said the CEO of the BPI, Geoff Taylor. "We hope that BT will do the right thing and block The Pirate Bay."

It is thought that BT will reject the request, thus leading to legal action. It's also thought that the BPI has teamed up with other, as yet unnamed organisations, in seeking the ban.

Whilst Pocket-lint doesn't approve of illegal file-sharing, we do have concerns that this type of action, and the Newzbin ruling could lead to further blocks for sites that the powers-that-be don't deem to be acceptable.

The web has always been free from the shackles and constraints of the old media, but this judgement could well be the first link in a new control chain.